


to think brings the horrors to life

by shewritesall



Series: Romanogers Short Stories [15]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-12-30 03:19:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18307118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewritesall/pseuds/shewritesall
Summary: "Natasha?"  he asked, his voice barely audible.  She nodded and brushed a tear off his cheek with her thumb.  Tears of her own trickled down her face, but she brought his lips to hers before he could wipe them away.





	to think brings the horrors to life

He can still hear Bucky's voice echoing through his brain as he stares at the ground.  The only thing that remains of his friend is scattered dust and Steve is too afraid to move.  He hadn't imagined what it would be like if they lost, but now he didn't have to; he'd seen it with his own eyes and it was worse than anything he could have ever thought up himself.  It was strange, watching a living person turn into brown dust and disappear slowly.  His brain still hadn't fully processed what had happened even if he was already dreading what would happen when it did.

"Cap?"  a voice rang through the woods.   _Rhodey_.  Steve looked over his shoulder to see Rhodey walking through the eerily silent forest.  For one horrible moment, Steve thought he'd have to watch Rhodey turn to dust as well.  But a minute passed, both of them staring with wide eyes at each other, and neither one disappeared.

Steve let out a breath that sounded vaguely like a strangled sob as he closed his eyes and dropped his head.  Rhodey was alive and appeared to be lasting, but who else had they lost?  Surely they weren't lucky enough to have the whole team.  He could see Vision's grey body from where he stood and remembered Wanda running into the forest after him.   _So Vision and Wanda are gone_.

"Sam's gone,"  Rhodey said quietly, staring at Vision's body with hardly suppressed horror.  "He fell out of the sky and there's no trace of him anywhere."

"What about T'Challa?"  Steve asked.  Rhodey shook his head and shrugged.  He didn't know.

"I can't find anyone,"  Rhodey answered.  He looked around the forest and Steve forced himself to step away from where Bucky had disappeared.  He heard a bush rustle and spun around to kill whoever was going to attack them.  The person that broke through the brush wasn't an enemy, though.

"Natasha,"  Steve breathed, dropping his arms.  She collided with him harshly, knocking him to his knees, but he kept his arms around her.  She was shaking as he held her, breathing heavily and clinging to him as if she'd never be able to hug him again once she let go.  Steve breathed in her scent and wanted to scream when he realised she smelled like the earth.   _Oh god, please no_.  She couldn't disappear too.  He didn't think he could bear to see her turn to dust as well.

"Steve,"  she whispered, tightening her arms around him.  He hugged her so tightly he was worried he would hurt her, but she didn't protest.  Maybe if he held her tight enough, she wouldn't be able to turn to dust.  The image of her disappearing like Bucky brought tears to his eyes and he choked back a sob.

"Don't go,"  he begged, clinging to her.  "Please don't go."  If she disappeared, surely the universe would take him too.  It couldn't be so cruel as to force him to continue on without her.

"I'm not,"  Natasha said.  She moved her hands to hold his face and pulled back to look at his eyes.  He stared at her, looking more terrified than she'd ever seen him.  "I'm not going anywhere,"  she promised.  Steve risked looking away from her face to make sure she wasn't turning to dust and was relieved to see she was still solid.

"Natasha?"  he asked, his voice barely audible.  She nodded and brushed a tear off his cheek with her thumb.  Tears of her own trickled down her face, but she brought his lips to hers before he could wipe them away.  The kiss was rushed, trying to reassure both of them that the other was alive.  They only pulled away when they couldn't hold their breath any longer.

Natasha was crying quietly, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Steve.  Steve pulled her to his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck.  Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she continued to tremble.  Steve wrapped his arms around her back and looked up from where they were kneeling on the ground to Rhodey.  Beside him stood Bruce who didn't seem surprised to see Natasha had run straight to Steve.

"Who else is left?"  Steve asked.  Bruce shrugged weakly.

"Half of the world, but I don't know who,"  he replied.  Steve closed his eyes and nodded, ducking his head to press a soft kiss to Natasha's neck.  Half of the world was disappearing, but he was lucky enough to be holding the one thing that really mattered to him.  If everything else disappeared but he still had Natasha by his side, he could manage.  They could manage.


End file.
